Photo by Christian Gooden (Post-Dispatch)
Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co.
Kevin Nashan’s Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co. has joined Gerard Craft’s Pastaria as the most accessible way to eat food from a James Beard Award-winning chef in St. Louis. Nashan nabbed “Best Chef: Midwest” honors in May 2017, and while his flagship Sidney Street Café remains a spot for special occasions and date nights, at Peacemaker you can get the gang together for a lobster or Maryland blue crab boil. Or you can do what I did on my most recent visit: Duck in for a casual lunch of the spicy, smoky gumbo and, my favorite dish here, the fried-clam roll with chive aioli.
Hours: Dinner daily, lunch Monday-Friday (opens at 1:30 p.m. Sunday)
Last year's ranking: Rest of the Best
Opened: 2014
Must order: Fried-clam roll ($9)